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East Kawartha Chamber of Commerce awards

ROB_McCORMICK Examiner
Doug Northey, owner of of Chemong Lodge, with his mother, Jane, and his corporate citizen of the year award Saturday night at the East Kawartha Chamber of Commerce Awards of Excellence gala.

Doug Northey, owner of the Chemong Lodge in Bridgenorth, was honured Saturday night as the East Kawartha Chamber of Commerce corporate citizen of the year.

The chamber presented awards in nine categories at its 13th annual Awards of Excellence dinner at the Quarry Golf Club in Ennismore.

“After 50 years being with my family’s business, this award means everything to us,” Northey said.

“I can’t say it’s been easy,” he said of his family’s 50-year-old business.

“We’ve had competition from a number of chains, but competiton makes you stronger, and that’s what we’ve always felt. My parents trained me through business that you need competition to make yourself strong, and that’s why we are still in business. We’re still here and we are proud to be in our community.

“I’m just lucky I have both my parents to share what we have had here for 50 years. It’s fantastic. I can not express more, being in a family business, how much it means to have my family all still with me to share this award.”

“We appreciate winning this award,” said Rhonda Hockaday, who owns Salon Sorella and Day Spa (sisters in Italian) with sister-in-law Sheri Hockaday. The spa won in the business beautification category.

“We look throughut Lakefield and feel that everyone in the community has a beautiful business because pretty much everyone in Lakefield keeps their businesses looking good.

“It’s nice to be appreciated for all the work we put into the building, and we thank everyone who participated because it was a huge community effort to build. All of our family appreciates the opportunity everyone gave us to have our business here.”

Scott Davidson, chamber president and owner of Hendren Funeral Homes, said membership has risen steadily over the last eight years.

“We know that in recent econimic times, chamber membership across the country has declined, with very few exceptions,” he said. “We would be one of those exception because our membership has grown year over year for the last number of years, even through difficult times.”

The chamber’s membership is more than 370, compared to almost 300 eight years ago, when he first joined, Davidson said.

“Part of it is that we are a tourist desination, which draws tourism busineses here. Our area is vibrant and strong in terms of business, and we have a seniors’ base that is very loyal to local businesses. It’s also a destination to live, and that really helps us as well. Businesses are able to thrive in conditions like that.”

The chamber serves a region that includes Apsley, Lakefield, the north end of Peterborough, Warsaw, Douro, Bukhorn, Ennismore and Bridgenorth, a market Davidson estimates at 25,000.

The annual awards gala raises about $10,000 for the chamber each year.